Portable boat having a plurality of attachable segments

ABSTRACT

A portable boat having multiple sections, which are connected together during use and are stacked together when not in use is disclosed. Each boat section is made of aluminum and attached in such a manner as to preserve the buoyancy and integrity of the boat. The boat is formed of a bow section, stern section and at least one center section. The boat sections are constructed with male and female slip coupling mechanisms and seat mechanisms such that when connected, the boat is rigid and of uniform width. Each point of attachment is characterized by two separate connecting mechanisms. This provides for a rigid and secure attachment between boat sections. Moreover, in the case of failure of one of the connecting mechanisms, it maintains the connection between the boat sections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to portable boats and in particular to portable boats, which can be assembled from and dissembled to a plurality of separate boat segments.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Boating is traditionally an exciting and popular sport that is enjoyed by many. However, a number of people are prevented from experiencing the joys of boating due to either: (a) the need to purchase a large amount of expensive equipment; and/or (b) the enormous amount of storage space required to store the boat and its associated equipment when it is not in use, Moreover, boaters also need to purchase additional equipment in the form of a boat trailer, towing equipment, or roof racks to transport the boat from their home or the boat's storage location to its place of ultimate use. Therefore, there is need to develop a boat which is both easily portable and easily storable for the user and does not require a lot of additional equipment to transport the boat.

In the past, many types of portable boats have been developed. These prior art portable boats can be classified in three general categories: (i) collapsible boats; (ii) foldable boats; (iii) sectional boats.

Collapsible boats are typically characterized by one or more sides that collapse to form a more compact package for travel. One such collapsible boat is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,616, issued to Battershill. The collapsible boat in the '616 patent requires the individual pieces of the boat to be “laced” together using nylon cord and the placement of rubber strips at key joints for waterproofing.

Such collapsible boats are often formed using a flexible material such as rubber or rubberized canvas, alone or in conjunction with rigid sections. Often these collapsible boats can require many individual pieces that are complicated and time consuming to assemble. Additionally, the collapsible nature of the boats makes them more susceptible to stresses and opposing forces at the junctions of the various pieces, and therefore an overall unstable structure.

The second category of portable boats, the folding boats, are often characterized in the boat sections are hinged together to fold over on each other. One such folding boat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,865, issued to Yelderman. This patent shows a boat that is formed of two separated sections that are pivotally connected along a top edge.

When in use as a boat, a pair of flanges positioned at joining edge of one boat section provide a means for securing the bottom edges of the two boat sections together at the bottom edge as well. However, the two sections of the boat are always attached at the top edge by the hinge. Even when folded, the boat is not compact or easily transported.

Another folding boat is shown in U.S. Pat No. 5,183,002, issued to Parker. This patent discloses a folding boat, which comes apart in multiple sections that further fold along centerline. The sections nest inside one another to form a more compact unit for storage. However, the boat does not provide for multiple points of connection between the sections to provide for a secure vessel.

Some of the disadvantages of the collapsible boats and the folding boats have been overcome by sectional or segmented boats. Typically, sectional boats have multiple rigid segments that can be completely separated for ease of handling and portability. Many such boats have sections that nest inside each other for easy storage.

One such nesting boat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,725, issued to Dowd. In the '725 patent, the individual boat sections are formed so that they are identical in structure but vary in size for easy nesting. When assembled, the boat has an irregular shape, wherein it angles outward to from a narrow point at one end to wide point at the opposite end. This design makes for an awkward boat shape that is entirely restricted by dimensions of the larger section.

Another nesting sectional boat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,145, which is of a more regular shape. However, the sections of the boat in the '145 patent are relatively large and when nested do not form a compact package.

Another point of weakness with prior art sectional boats is the mechanisms used to attach the segments to each other. The sectional boats of the prior art have provided for a variety of attachment mechanisms to connect the plurality of sections to form a rigid boat structure. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,346 and 3,822,427 each provide for the individual boat sections to be jointed by tongue and groove type of flanges positioned vertically along mating surfaces of the boat. The boat described in the '346 patent also uses a specially designed U-shaped clamp to further secure the sections together.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,145, issued to Stone, there is shown a sectional boat in which the sections are joined by means of transverse clamping mechanism, another specially manufactured part. The sectional boats of the prior art have generally provided for complex means of connection between the segments that often require multiple parts, the use of additional tools for assembly, as well as special or precision manufacturing techniques to produce the boat sections.

Therefore, there is a need in the field of portable, sectional boats for a boat which has regular outer shape for good boat performance, but wherein the sections of the boat will nest inside each other for compact storage and easy portability. There is also a need for a sectional boat which can be easily manufactured and assembled by the user without the use of complicated attachment mechanisms or additional tools. There is a further need for a sectional boat that has multiple points of attachment between each of the segments to provide for a secure rigid boat structure.

REASONS WHY MY BOAT IS BETTER THAN U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,013 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an Object of the present invention to provide for a rigid sectional boat which can be easily manufactured and assembled with no tools and no special mechanical skills.

It is a further Object of the invention to provide for a rigid sectional boat wherein each of the boat sections formed of aluminum, but not limited to.

It is a further Object of this invention to provide for a rigid sectional boat wherein, when disassembled, the segments of the boat nest inside each other for easy portability from place of storage to place of ultimate use.

It is another Object of this invention to provide for a rigid sectional boat wherein the boat segments can be easily assembled a disassembled without the use of tools.

It is yet another Object of this invention to provide a portable boat formed of a plurality of different connectable segments.

It is still yet another Object of this invention to provide a portable boat formed of multiple segments which are connected to each other by multiple points of attachment to form a safe and secure water craft.

It is still yet another Object of this invention to provide a portable boat which can be disassembled to a compact package which can hold all of the equipment for an outing.

SUMMARY OR THE PRESENT INVENTION

In general, the portable, sectional boat of the present invention provides a simple, secure yet low cost solution to the problems described in the Background of the Invention. This is achieved by strategically employing a plurality of attachment points which utilize technically simple connection mechanisms between different sections of the boat. These different points of attachment cooperate to form a boat that is rigid when assembled and secure when in use. The portable boat of the present also employs design features which allow the boat to be easily manufactured to produce a boat that has independently buoyant segments that connect together to form a rigid boat of regular construction that will glide easily through the water, yet will disassemble to several differently sized segments that nest inside of each other for easy storage and portability. Therefore, the portable boat of the present invention includes a plurality of boat sections, including a bow section, a stern section, and at least one center section. The bow section has a bottom, a back wall portion, and side-wall portions. The stern section has a bottom, a front wall portion, side portions and rear stern wall. The center section has a bottom, a front wall portion, a back wall portion, and side-wall portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

For a fuller understanding of the Objects of the present invention, the detailed descriptions of the illustrative embodiment will be taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For purposes of illustration, the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, with like structures being indicated by like reference numbers.

Object C) The bow section is comprised of a front wall portion, a bottom portion flowing up into the side wall portions, and a back wall portion, also referred to as a bulkhead. FIG. 3, Object 11 is used to attach the vessel along the bottom.

Object B) The center section is comprised of a front wall portion, or bulkhead with slip coupling mechanisms along the bottom, a bottom portion flowing up into side wall portions, and a back wall portion, or bulkhead with FIG. 3, Object 11, assembled slip coupling mechanisms along the bottom.

Object A) The stern section is comprised of front wall portion, or bulkhead with FIG. 3, Object 11 assembled slip coupling mechanism along the bottom, a bottom portion flowing up into side wall portions, and rear wall portion.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable sectional boat (Objects A, B and C) is formed of a plurality of different boat segments or sections (Objects A, B and C). There is a front or Bow section (Object C). The Bow section (Object C) is attached to the mid section (Object B) by the seat assembly (FIG. 1, Object 1) at the top of the vessel, and the slip coupling (FIG. 1, Object 11) along the bottom.

The portable boat also contains a rear or stern section. The stern section (Object A) is attached to the mid-section (Object B) by the same means as the bow section. The rear section (Object A) is attached to the mid section (Object B) by the seat assembly (FIG. 1, Object 1) at the top of the vessel, and the slip coupling mechanism assembly (FIG. 1, Object 11) along the bottom of the vessel.

The slip coupling assembly (FIG. 1, Object 11) consists of the combined pieces in FIG. 3.1. The pieces in FIG. 3.1 include; Objects 12, slip coupling mounting blocks, Object 13, female slip coupling, and Object 14, male slip coupling.

The slip coupling mounting blocks (FIG. 13.1, Objects 12) are attached to the bottom of the boat sections. Methods of attachment of the mounting blocks include but are not limited to welding, screws and/or rivets.

The female slip coupling (FIG. 3, 4 and 5, Object 13) consists of a flat plate attached to the outer edge of a tube running parallel with the plate. The tube and plate are bonded to form one piece (Object 13). The tube then has a slit cut on the opposite of the attached plate to allow the male slip coupling (Object 14) to slide into the female slip coupling (Object 13).

The male slip coupling is assembled closely to the same fashion of the female slip coupling. The male slip coupling (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, Object 14) consists of a flat plate bonded to a dowel slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the tube in the female slip coupling (Object 13). As shown in FIG. 5, Object 14 is able to slide into Object 13 and form a tight and strong joint.

Objects 13 and 14 are attached to the boat by inserting them into the mounting blocks. The mounting blocks have a machined groove the same thickness of the plate attached to both Objects 13 and 14. The slip couplings are then screwed into the mounting blocks. The slip couplings may be changed is damaged.

In addition to the slip coupling, there is also a folding seat that acts as a clamp on the top of the vessels bulkheads or sectional walls. FIG. 6 depicts the seat in its most compact form. In this figure the seat is folded to half the length needed to help save space while hauling or storing. The seat pivots around a hinge (Object 5) that is fastened to the bottom center edge of the seat halves. FIG. 7 helps to illustrate the motion of the seat unfolding.

The seat assembly in greater detail is shown in FIG. 8, the seat assembly includes (FIG. 8, Objects 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7) and (FIG. 9, Objects 8, 6 and 7). The seat assembly is made up f two mirroring halves. Object 1 is the base of what the seat is built from, from the seat (Object 1) is installed the mounting angle (FIG. 10, Object 6). Object 6 is mounted in the center of the seat. It is used to keep the top of the bulkheads together and act as a clamp.

From Object 6, Object 8 originates. Object 8 is a slight outward bend placed at the leading edge of Object 6 that goes over the two sectional bulkheads. It is used to assist in the aligning of the bulkheads when placing the seat and clamping mechanism.

Again from Object 6, Object 7 originates. Object 7 is the hinge in which the folding wings pivot upon.

Again from Object 6, Object 2 originates. The folding wings in conjunction with the tension arms (Objects 3, 4, 5 and 9) press against the bulkheads clamping them together form a tight and strong joint.

The tension arms are shown in more detail in FIG. 11, working with an over centering action to apply pressure to the bulkheads between the two wings (Objects 2). The upper tension arm mount (Object 9) is riveted to the bottom of the seat. The upper portion of the tension arm (Object 3) is then bolted to the upper tension arm mount. The lower portion of the tension arm (Object 4) is bolted to the bottom of the upper tension allowing them to fold within each other. The lower portion of the tension arm (Object 4) is then bolted to the lower tension arm mount (Object 5). Object 5 is then riveted to the lower edge of the folding wing (Object 2). This forms the folding wing clamps that are used to clamp the two bulkheads together. When pulling from the center of the tension arms the folding wings are pushed inward toward the bulkheads. Once the tension arms are pushed tightly against the bulkheads and the tension arms are pulled to an over center position, the tension arms and wings form a tight clamp.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the vessel with both the seat (Object 1) and the slip coupling mechanism (Object 11) installed. As shown in FIG. 12, the cut out in the seat helps in the alignment of the boats sections, Object 10.

FIG. 13 helps depict how the seat and clamping mechanism in conjunction with the slip coupling form a tight and strong bond between the joined boat sections. The exploded view, FIG. 13.1, helps to illustrate in even grater detail in how the clamping assembly helps hold the top of the bulkheads together.

FIG. 14, Object C) the bow is comprised of a front wall portion, a bottom portion flowing up into the side wall portions, and a back wall portion, also referred to as a bulkhead.

FIG. 14, Object B) the center section is comprised of a front wall portion, or bulkhead with slip coupling mechanisms along the bottom, a bottom portion flowing up into side wall portions, and a back wall portion.

FIG. 14, Object A) the stern section is comprised of a front wall portion or bulkhead with a bottom portion flowing up into side wall portions, and a rear wall portion.

The sectional boat when disassembled fits together in a compact shape as shown in FIG. 15. In FIG. 15, Object A, fits within Object B, and Object C fits within Object A. The ability of these Objects to fit within one another forms a very compact shape east to store or haul. 

1. A rigid sectional boat having a plurality of sections including bow, center, and stern sections; said bow section is comprised of a front wall portion, a bottom portion flowing up into side wall portions, and a back portion, also referred to as a bulkhead with a slip coupling mechanism along the bottom edge; said center section is comprised of a front wall portion, or bulkhead with slip coupling mechanism along the bottom edge, a bottom portion flowing up into side wall portions, and a back wall portion, or bulkhead with slip coupling mechanisms along the bottom edge; said stern section is comprised of a front wall portion, or bulkhead with slip coupling mechanism along the bottom edge, a bottom portion flowing into side wall portions, and a rear wall portion; said bulkheads in bow, center, and stern sections contain slip coupling mechanisms for attaching said sections to each other along a bottom edge, along with seat mechanisms which hold two adjacent bulkheads together at the top and mid sections of the bulkhead whereby when said seat members are engaged and said slip coupling mechanisms are employed, said plurality of boat sections are rigidly connected to each other to form a complete boat.
 2. The sectional boat of claim 1, wherein said seat mechanisms are removable, collapsible, and fit inside bow section for ease of transportation and storage of said sectional boat.
 3. The sectional boat of claim 1, wherein said slip coupling mechanisms are one step self-cleaning, self-aligning, and may be replaced if damaged.
 4. The sectional boat of claim 1, wherein said plurality of boat section are independently buoyant.
 5. The sectional boat of claim l, wherein said stern section and bow section nest inside the center section during storage or transportation of said sectional boat.
 6. A method of assembling a rigid sectional boat consists of: aligning a plurality of boat section, including a bow section, a stern section, and at least one center section, wherein bulkheads are aligned and slipped together by means of slip coupling mechanism along the bottom edge of adjacent bulkheads, and seat mechanisms are affixed along top and mid-section of adjacent bulkheads to form a rigid sectional boat without the use of tools. 